2 Latter-day Saint missionaries killed in North Dakota car crash

Collin Leonard, KSL.com

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL.com) — Two 20-year-old Latter-day Saint missionaries were killed aft crashing into nan backmost of a stopped semitruck connected a North Dakota road Tuesday.

The driver, Elder Robert “Tommy” Gardner, from Riverton, and rider Elder Jacob Aaron Kesler, from Ely, Nevada, were some pronounced dormant astatine nan segment of nan collision.

Kesler had been serving successful nan North Dakota Bismarck Mission since July 2022, and Gardner since November 2022.

The clang happened astatine small aft 2:30 p.m., 11 miles southbound of Beulah, North Dakota, according to nan North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Traffic came to a extremity aft a conveyance occurrence blocked nan northbound lanes of North Dakota Highway 49, officers report, including nan motortruck progressive successful nan accident. The driver “did not spot nan stopped semi successful nan roadway,” according to a release, and their SUV struck nan trailer.

The driver of nan semitruck was not injured. Both victims were wearing spot belts.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a connection Wednesday, saying, “We nonstop our emotion and condolences to Elder Kesler’s and Elder Gardner’s families and friends and their chap missionaries. We believe they will each beryllium comforted and consciousness bid during this tragic clip arsenic they bespeak connected nan religious work these young men person fixed to nan Savior, by sharing his gospel.”

The North Dakota Highway Patrol says nan clang remains nether investigation.